THE SECOND HALF: Stay safe on New Year's

How will you be spending tonight? Many people have long-standing traditions when it comes to New Year's Eve, whether that means a certain menu, dining out at a favorite restaurant, or perhaps attending or hosting a big party with friends.

On the flip side, there are also those who feel that, at this stage of life, simply trying to stay awake all the way until the stroke of midnight is not a goal worth pursuing!

One thing for sure: For many people, this holiday can be all about alcohol. As we all know, booze flows freely on this last night of the year. And while those of us over 50 may think of ourselves as smarter than our younger counterparts, alcohol certainly can make you very, very stupid.

A number of years ago, I ran a checklist of things to keep in mind for having a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve. It seemed like it might be worth repeating.

If you are hosting a party tonight, please take a few minutes to glance over the following guidelines:

* Before the party even begins, ask your guests who their designated driver is. If they don't have one, connect them to a fellow guest so you don't have any last-minute surprises.

* Make sure your guests know that you will be collecting their car keys when they walk through your front door. If they are not willing to agree to this, they need to make other arrangements for the evening. Awkward? Perhaps. Life saving? Definitely. The night of the party, put the basket of keys in a safe place, away from the activities.

* Check with a taxi company to make sure taxis will be available to drive your guests home if necessary.

* Plan for an extra guest (or two) to stay the night; have extra blankets and pillows on hand in the event someone needs to sleep it off.

* Make sure you serve plenty of food, as well as non-alcoholic drinks and water.

* Plan activities other than eating and drinking. Play some games, dance, watch the ball drop in Times Square. Anything that helps take the focus off of drinking will be better for all of you in the long run.

* Here's one of the most difficult decisions to make in a room full of revelers: Don't break your resolve to keep keys from anyone you think might be even a little intoxicated. But how do you know if a person has had too much to drink? Keep in mind that impairment begins with the first drink. Then use your common sense.

But simply judging by physical appearance and behavior alone is not enough to determine if a person is a danger behind the wheel. Are they slurring their words? Can they walk a straight line? (It's easy to do when you aren't drunk.) How well do they stand on one foot? Can they recite the alphabet? Pose a question or present a problem and see what their response time is, as well as the quality of their answer.

If your guest gives you a hard time, have other friends back you up.

Bottom line? Any amount of embarrassment or irritation is worth more than a DUI, an accident, an injury and/or a death. Really now, is that the way you want to ring in the New Year?

However you decide to celebrate tonight, please be smart and stay safe. A brand new year is waiting for you just around the corner!

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Tracey Barnes Priestley is a life coach with a master's degree in community counseling psychology and more than 30 years of experience as a counselor, educator and consultant. She is married and has three children. Visit www.thesecondhalfonline.com; email her at: tracey@thesecondhalfonline.com; or send your letters to 665 F St., Arcata, CA 95521.